'Lite' version of Marantz KI Pearl SACD & amp

[Yuri]

Apart from the new BD/SACD players mentioned on the front page, Marantz has also announced 'lite' (read: 'budget') versions of last year's KI Pearl components, including this SACD player:

• SACD, CD, CD-RW, MP3, WMA disc playback
  
• XYRON disc loader
  
• 24-bit DAC mode: coax, optical and USB Type B PC connection inputs
  
• Toroidal transformer
  
• iPod USB input with SPDIF digital output support
  
• HDAM-SA2
  
• Customised components

It looks more like it's based on the SA8003 than on the original KI Pearl.

List price: £999. The original Pearl is about £2500; the SA8003 £700, but the new Lite has a DAC that you can use for all sorts of inputs.

[Brandon B]

Interesting. If it would play DVD-A as well, I'd probably want one. The one thing keeping me fro picking up one the Oppo BDP-83Se's is that it has no inputs to allow its use as a DAC. And Oppo has specifically stated it never will.

First decent machine that does SACD, DVD-A (and BD would be nice) that does that will be my choice.

[Yuri]

Then isn't one of the two new Marantz machines (UD7005, UD5005) something for you? They play SACD, DVD-Audio plus Blu-ray Disc and they've got a USB input.

http://www.ps3sacd.com/index.html#_20100613

What input would you want to use?

[Brandon B]

Unclear if those will do any more than the Oppo.

I want to input music files from my Mac into it at 16/44 and hopefully up to 24/96, and use it as a DAC as well as a universal disc player. The Oppo will only take MP3 and other compressed files in, and cannot be used as a DAC with PCM.

I can do that over either toslink or USB, but no player seems to support it.

Basically, I am trying to get out of buying a nice disc player AND dac by finding something that does both. There seems to be some industry inhibition against this, though.

[Yuri]

Brandon,

Did you notice this new product? The Marantz NA7004 Network Audio Player

http://us.marantz.com/Products/3298.asp



(Don' worry, it's also available in black :)

It's not the combi player you've been looking for but looks interesting nevertheless.

[Brandon B]

Thanks, pretty nifty.

Doesn't get me my goal of SACD playback, but it does a lot of other things. Curious if the USB computer audio playback is an asynchronous mode. That would make it even more appealing.

I've been resisting the temptation to buy a Metric Halo ULN-2 to use as a firewire DAC/phono preamp, as it's $1700 and gets me no disc playback either, but supposedly sounds pretty magnificent. If this Marantz were a really strong DAC, pairing it with the Oppo would get me everything I wanted at the same price.

[The Seventh Taylor]

I'm confused. I used to think (partially because of pictures like the one above) that products like this would act as a host that accepts a (mass storage class) device: it simply accesses files on the USB device, takes the data in at some arbitrary rate (faster than real time at any rate) and decodes it internally.

Now I'm beginning to see more and more 'USB DACs' where the USB port is simply one of various digital inputs, among coaxial and optical, suggesting it takes streaming audio input. Take for instance this one:



Examples:
- Marantz NA7004
- Luxman DA-200
- TAD-C2000

What is the usage scenario here extactly? What source are you supposed to connect here -- a PC? A portable audio player? An iPod dock? I guess a PC wouldn't work because then there wouldn't be a Type A connector on the DAC and I also can't figure who would play host here.

And one more thing: if jitter is considered an issue by some for HDMI, how does USB perform in this respect?

[Yuri]

Nice review of the Marantz KI Pearl Lite set here:

http://www.techradar.com/reviews/audio-visual/hi-fi-and-audio/audio-systems/marantz-ki-pearl-series-714688/review

[Brandon B]

[Yuri]

There's a very positive review of the Marantz SA8004 -- which looks strikingly like the KI Pearl Lite SACD player and also features the DAC -- here:

http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue53/marantz.htm

[Brandon B]

Man, so close to the panacea for my system. DVD-A and multichannel outs would have sold me on this.

Any clue why Marantz is selling an SACD deck with only stereo outs? Are that many of the supporters of the format only doing 2 ch classical and jazz?

Could conceivably live with it anyway, as the system I'd use it in is stereo only until I build the other 3 speakers. I'll have to see some reviews of its performance as a DAC and see if I succumb. My old SCP-C555ES grows more reluctant to play SACDs each time I power it on.

[Yuri]

I think you should really check out these Marantz Universal Disc Players. Apparently they've already announced a sucessor to the UD7005 -- the UD7006. See http://us.marantz.com/Products/3227.asp

- SACD
- DVD-A
- 192kHz/32bit DAC (x5)
- USB input

Just what isn't clear to me is whether it'll accept audio files through USB. I'd expect so but the spec sheet says: "Plays MP3/WMA/AAC/WAV/DivX Plus HD/AVC HD/Mpeg/h.264/Jpeg/ format through USB memory/Network"

[Brandon B]

I am going to guess this is like their previous players, only accepts the lower quality stuff through the USB.

Otherwise, seems like it would have the toslink, SPDIF and rear panel USB inputs like the 8004 does to take advantage of being able to dual purpose it as a decent DAC.

Not entirely dismissing getting the 8004. I can always use my theater for multichannel, (when kid isn't on the PS3), and I only have a handful of DVD-As, which I have ripped the hi rez stereo tracks into iTunes. If enough reviews come back that it is a really good DAC, I will probably be swayed, as SACD playback is a bigger deal, since I have more like 50 of those.